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Archive for August, 2010

Last day of the month!

August 31st, 2010 at 10:08 pm

Well, I hope it is better than the first day of the month. We spent most of that day at the hospital trying to find out what was wrong with dh. Finally, after midnight, we found out he had gallstones.
He had surgery to take out his gall bladder two days later.

Now the bills are coming in. The bill for the surgery was only $3000 which we did not think was too bad. However, the emergency room bill came today and it was for $7500. That does not count for the hospital bill for the day he was there 7 hours for the surgery.

We have a $10,000 deductible policy so it looks like we will have to pay for the whole thing ourselves. I am just glad we have the money to do so.

I did my grocery shopping today and score some pretty good bargains. According to the receipt, I saved $18 using my advantage card. The braves won their last two games, so I have $20 to add to the challenge today.

Prev. total $12,857.00
today 20.00
new total $12,877.00

Nice rebate check!

August 28th, 2010 at 10:12 pm

I use to get a rebate check almost every month from a building supply company.This past year or so, they keep almost nothing in inventory, so we usually get building supplies from somewhere else. That means no rebate check!

We did order some stuff from them in June and July and today, I got a rebate check from them to the tune of $424. Needless to say, it will get added to my $20 challenge money.

Prev. total $12,433.00
today 424.00
new total $12,857.00

A Good mail day!!

August 27th, 2010 at 10:04 pm

I gor $51 in the mail today. $50 was from my Chase mastercard reward card and $1 was from nfomy survey. They paid very little for keeping a running total of what you spend each month, but I am such a nerd, I like doing it.

I also got a bill on dh's surgery. This is not a bill from the hospital, but rather a bill from the surgeon and the guy that administers the oxygen. The total was a little less than $3000. I have never had surgery, but I did not think that was bad. We have to pay all of dh's bills cause we have $10,000 deductible.
What do you think about the bill?

Prev. total $12,382.00
today 51.00
new total $12.433.00

I guess some people just don't pay their bills.

August 25th, 2010 at 05:35 pm

A few years ago, my husband started a spec house for a professional couple. Before the house was finished, the couple declared bankrupcy and the house went into foreclosure.
The bank hired my husband to finish the house to the point that it would pass inspection and they could sell it as it. He never did the outside rock work or the final grading.

The couple that bought the house ( at a grest bargain, I might add; about $500,000 under market price) called us. They were having a water problem.
I assumed that they were hiring dh to come and fix it.
He went over there, only 5 days after surgery (a big no no) to work on the problem.

He hired a guy to work with a shovel for 3 days, then he had the backhoe come in for an entire day to grade out the yard. They put in 2 loads of fill dirt and 3 loads of mulch. He worked all day with a shovel and rake too. After 3 days, the problem was solved.
I sent them a bill. Today, I called because I had not received payment and it has been 2 weeks. I paided the worker out of my pocket, but I needed $520 to pay for the backhoe, fill dirt and mulch.
When I taked to the owner today, she said that they just did not have the money to pay me.

What are they doing buying a 5000 square foot house if they have no money to pay their bills?

Should we repo the fill dirt and mulch??

On a happier note, I saved $6 using my Ingles advantage card yesterday and received a $3 pineone check. My social security check came in ($486) so this will all be added to the $20 challenge.

Prev. total $11,887.00
today 495.00
new total $12,382.00

Sale Items

August 22nd, 2010 at 09:38 pm

I went to Bi Lo this morning to get a couple of steaks on sale. I purchased 7 items and 6 of them were on sale.
I bought 3 steaks (on sale), two cans of dog food (on sale, I large bottle of cranberry juice (on sale) and one Hood low carb chocolate milk. (Never on sale)
I saved $8 which I will now add to my $20 challenge fund. I also found 45 cents in the dryer!
Prev. total $11,879.00
today 8.00
new total $11,887.00

Another big electric bill

August 20th, 2010 at 07:49 pm

I got another big electric bill again. For the first time ever, last month's electric bill went over my budget of $160 a month. It was $180.
Yesterday I got the bill for $190. The electric company did raise the rates last month and it has really been hot.
I have gotten so use to putting the left over money towards my challenge, but that didn't happen last month nor will it happen this month. I guess I need to revise my budget a bit.

I have filled my propane tank for winter. I got what I thought was a pretty good price for winter, $1.59 per gallon. We have a thousand gallon tank but last year, it was so cold that it did not last all winter.

I took my change into the bank today. I had $33. The braves did not win yesterday, but they won the 3 games before that, so I am adding $3 for a total of $36 to add to the challenge.

Prev. total $11,843.00
today 36.00
new total $11,870.00

Elvis Day yesterday!

August 17th, 2010 at 09:45 pm

Yesterday was the 33rd year of the death of Elvis Presley. I have a lot of collectible Elvis items that I keep in the "Elvis Bedroom"
I played bridge yesterday, so I decorated the area that we play, with a few Elvis items. I still have the original Memphis newspaper that was printed on August 17th, 1977; the day after his death.
Did you know that Elvis was chosen Entertainer of the Century in the year 2000?

I finally got the Rite aid rebate check for $4. I submitted it on June 11 online and received it yesterday. I had a no use gas day yesterday and the braves pulled off a 2 out, 1 run behind, 9th inning win , so I have a total of $7 for the $20 challenge.

Prev. total $11,835.00
today 7.00
new total $11,843.00

Happy friday the 13th!

August 13th, 2010 at 08:00 pm

Yes, it is Friday the 13th. The only one this entire year. I consider 13 to be my lucky number and I got married on Friday the 13th!

I don't know if I should consider today to be lucky or not. The first thing that happened when I got up this morning is that the phone rang. It was the police department downtown.
That scared me, til the lady told me they had dh's cell phone. Someone had found it and turned it in at the station. I have no idea how they knew it belonged to my husband. (I know nothing about cell phones)

Anyway, to celebrate, I will add $13 to my challenge.

Prev. total $11,823.00
today 13.00
new total $11,836.00

Catching up on bills!!

August 11th, 2010 at 08:56 pm

While my husband was recovering from surgery last week, I just let all my bookkeeping go! As a result, I am catching up on all my bills today. I pay all my own personal bills, plus we pay all of our customers bills too and collect from them later. So, I do a lot of check writing.
I did manage to go grocery shopping yesterday. I found some pretty good deals and managed to save $9 using my advantage card. I must say, I am certainly stocked up on toilet paper. I will add that $9 to my $20 challenge.
Prev. total $11,814.00
today 9.00
new total $11,823.00

You can't keep a good man down!

August 8th, 2010 at 09:29 pm

At least that is what my dh wants everyone to think. He is outside, right now, cutting grass, after having surgery on Tuesday night. I think he is planning on going to work tomorrow. Of course, his plans have changed. He won't be putting down hardwood floors, cause he cannot swing that heavy hammer. I think he will be laying tile instead.
I got a good deal on sprite yesterday, a Bogo at BiLo. That saved me $4 plus the braves won, so I am adding $5 to the challenge today.
Prev. total $11,809.00
today 5.00
new total $11,814.00

You don't spend when you stay home.

August 6th, 2010 at 11:41 pm

But is is sooooooooo boring. We got out today for the first time since the surgery, so I had two no use gas days in a row. The braves won, so I have $5 to add to the $20 challenge.
My dh has lost 10 pounds; I am so jealous!! Last night he wanted pancakes. He ate one! Who eats ONE pancake??
We went to the grocery store to see if anything appealed to him to eat. He picked up watermelon and cantelope for his dinner to night. He does not need to lose any more weight!

Prev. total $11,804.00
today 5.00
new total $11,809.00

Thank you for all the well soon wishes!

August 5th, 2010 at 06:46 pm

I have been busy the past few days with my dh being so sick. I was surpised to get on here today and see all the responses to my blog about the emergency room.
Apparently a lot of you are experienced about gall stones and gall bladder surgery. We were not and it was the very last text the emergency room did; after testing him for everything else.

Monday, we got busy and went to visit the office of the surgeon.
I felt very confident in him and we were sure he would do a good job. After all, dh built his house!

Then we went over to the hospital to fill out form and back the appointment.

On Tuesday morning, we met at the hospital at 10 am. They finally took him into surgery at noon and he was out by 2 pm. He got to go home by 4:30. They don't keep you overnight if you are feeling ok.

Now, he is not feeling great and was surprised that he could not go back to work today. But he is doing ok. The hardest thing for him is getting up and down from the bed and he doesn't feel right if he bends over. I have been helping him get up from the bed so he doesn't hurt himself. Last night, he slept in his recliner and says that is much easier to get out of.

The puppy likes to jump on his lap and sit with him, so we had to put a pillow over his stomach so she would not hurt him.

The hardest thing is having nothing to do! My dh is one of the hardest working men you have ever met. He can hardly wait to get back to work!

Sunday at the Emergency room.

August 2nd, 2010 at 09:35 pm

Dh has not felt well the past few weeks. He wakes up in the middle of the night with pain in his chest and then throws up for hours. We went to the doctor and he changed dh's heartburn medicine, but he still got sick.
Yesterday morning he woke me. He had been up sick all night. We went to the emergency room and came home after 3 hours. He fell asleep for a while, then woke up to the pain again.
We went back to the emergency room about 6 pm and did not get home til 2 in the morning. They did all kinds of tests on him. They found gallstones.
Today we spent most of the day at the doctor's and at the hospital getting him signed up for surgery tomorrow.
This is something very rare for us. I have NEVER been in a hospital or had surgery and dh has only had his appendix out when he was 17.
We have hospitalization on dh, but it has a $10,000 deductible, so I know this is a very spending few days. It's ok, I just want him to feel better.

I got my payments today on the personal loans I made. I made $177 in interest and received a $3 pinecone check for $180 to add to the challenge.
Prev. total $11,624.00
today 180.00
new total $11,804.00